NLRB alleges unfair labor practices against Borgess Medical Center over nurses' contract negotiation

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/07/borgess_and_nurses_union_heade.html

Published: Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 9:00 PM Updated: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 7:24 AM

Chris Killian | Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette


Jerry Campbell / Special to the Gazette Demonstrators gather April 10 in front of Borgess Hospital on Gull Road to support the Borgess Nurse Council during a rally for Safe Patient Care at the Borgess Medical Center. The union has been working without a contract since March 19.


KALAMAZOO — During contract negotiations with Borgess Medical Center, nurses were threatened with a possible lockout, interrogated about their union activities and told there would be “economic penalties” if the union representing them did not agree to a hospital-proposed contract, according to a formal complaint filed against the hospital by the National Labor Relations Board.

The complaint alleges unfair labor practices by the hospital earlier this year when it was in negotiations with the 700-member Borgess Staff Nurse Council and the Michigan Nurses Association, a statewide nurses union representing the council, according to the complaint, a copy of which was obtained by the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Borgess Monday rejected a settlement proposed by the National Labor Relations Board that would have voided the complaint. The hospital must provide the board with a written response to the complaint by July 26. A hearing before an administrative law judge is scheduled for Oct. 4.

On Monday, an official with the labor board had said the formal complaint would be filed in the next few days if no settlement was reached; however, the complaint was actually filed Monday.

“Whenever we issue a complaint, we always look for a settlement,” said Stephen Glasser, the labor board’s Region 7 director, who said the board can make minor changes to its settlement proposal to try and reach agreement with Borgess.

Borgess declined to respond to allegations in the complaint, instead referring to a written statement it released Monday.


FULL story at link.